"When it comes to comfort food, few dishes deliver like a classic casserole - bubbling, cheesy, and filling enough to feed a crowd without breaking the bank. That's the idea behind poor man's casserole - an easy lasagna bake that blends egg noodles, ground beef, cream cheese, and tomato sauce that's topped with, you guessed it, cheese. It's hearty and endlessly flexible, and one of those meals that hits the spot every time."
"Poor man's casserole is a throwback to the Great Depression, where casseroles not only helped families make it through the week, but churches and synagogues served them frequently. Those Depression-era potlucks (and soup kitchens) were a source of comfort and connection, inspiring community and company (like Campbell's) cookbooks. They featured variation upon variation of a poor man's meal - a casserole of cut-up hot dogs cooked with onions and potatoes."
Poor man's casserole is a simple, budget-friendly lasagna-style bake combining egg noodles, ground beef, cream cheese, tomato sauce, and melted cheese. Origins trace to the Great Depression when casseroles helped families through the week and were common at churches, synagogues, potlucks, and soup kitchens. Depression-era recipes emphasized economical ingredients, condensed soups, eggs, and cheese to bind items like hot dogs, potatoes, or ground beef. By the 1950s, cream cheese became common in casseroles, creating creamy egg noodle lasagna variations. The dish remains flexible: pasta, tater tots, or potatoes can be used, and spicy cowboy casserole offers a tater tot–topped variation.
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